La Tournée des Joueurs a hit with fans

La Tournée des Joueurs is playing to sold-out arenas across Quebec but players are anxious for the real thing.

The barnstorming tour organized by longtime friends Max Talbot and Bruno Gervais attracted more than 5,000 fans to the renocated Palais des Sports Léopold Drolet in Sherbrooke Friday night. The fans, many of them youngsters, were treated to two hours of past-paced shinny from a collection of locked-out players. The only people in the arena who might not have enjoyed the evening were goaltenders Jonathan Bernier and Marc-André Fleury, who were under constant attack.

Most of the players expressed disappointment at the NHL’s decision to cancel the first two weeks of the season but the Canadiens’ Brandon Prust said they were encouraged by the fact that the NHL and the NHLPA resumed talking Friday and are expected to keep in touch on the weekend.

Team Quebec, with Bernier in nets, posted its first win in the exhibition series, defeated Team Montreal 8-6. Prust and Montreal teammates David Desharnais and Lars Eller each scored a goal for the winners. Also scoring for Team Quebec were Mathieu Perreault, Paul Bissonnette, Marc-Édouard Vlasic, Simon Gagné and Sherbrooke native David Perron.

Josh Gorges had a goal and an assist for Team Montreal. Josh Bailey, Guillaume Latendresse, Kris Letang, Steve Bernier and Tabot also scored for Team Montreal

After sellouts in St. Hyacinthe Thursday and Sherbrooke Friday, the tour goes further afield next week. Therer will be a game in Rimouski on Wednesday and then it moves Thursday to Quebec where Talbot and company hope to fill the 15,000-seat Le Colisée Pepsi.

I went to trenton today to see the Dogs.It was awesome seen a 2 hour free practice and met the whole team all 4 coaches and 28 players it was great.Talked to 2 coaches and 4 players I had a blast.My nephew got all 32 autograghs on his Habs flag.

It seems to me that we as fans need a way to apply pressure to these negotiations. I think we need something that we can all sign and submit to the NHL and NHLPA.
I _________ hereby pledge not to attend any NHL games or purchase any Liscenced NHL merchandise for at least 5 years unless play resumes by Jan 1st, 2013.
I think a lot of people would sign something like that. If enough people did then Bettman and Fehr might start actually negotiating in earnest before spring.
Lets make happen boys.

The NHL won’t rush to appease fans, most of the teams lose less money by not operating than by operating. Attendance dollars matters so little; if it did matter, Canada would have a couple more teams already. I’m pretty sure Regina, Hamilton, Quebec, Halifax could outdraw Phoenix, Columbus, Tampa, the panthers etc

[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.

I haven’t been able to find any more detail than that statement. It may not be an entirely bad thing though, showing some individualism and independent thought. As long as it’s not so much that it disturbs the teams set plays. Is his coach a known hard-ass and stickler for conformity?

From reading all the various posts regarding the NHLPA versus NHL, I would like to officially nominate HabFab as our spokesperson. Get in those boardrooms and kick some ASS Frank. You have my full support.

So you’re both on the owners side? Wow. You think crying “we need more money” while they prop up ridiculous expansion teams and insult the players is the way to go? Sorry, it’s not just wrong, it’s not going to work.

Actually we don’t support either side. Both have their valid points BUT people supporting just one side forces us into a counter argument. Actually find it irritating having to defend the NHL but find the alternative more so… woof woof!

Changing the percentages doesn’t change the system. It will just continue, that in 5, 6, 7 or so years we’ll be in the same position because the big market teams will be making money hand over fist and the small markets will either be losing money by trying to keep up with spending and compete… or losing fans because they can’t compete. It doesn’t solve the fundamental issue to keep crawling back the players share.

We need revenue sharing, and we need to move Phoenix and possibly 1 other team, short of doing that, we do not solve the systemic problems. Reducing the players share of HRR needs to be done… but other issues must also be addressed and the owners have to give a little here too. If they don’t we’ll be in the same position at the end of this lockout, staring another in the face.

I’m sorry but don’t I make that point that more and revised revenue sharing is needed. The points that I agree somewhat with the NHL are;
– higher share of HRR but not as much as they want and it goes to revenue sharing.
– some fine tuning on length of contracts, average yearly amounts. Not sold on 5 years but maybe until age 35 and then no more then 3-5 years afterwards. So an 27 year old UFA could sign for 8 years but at some type of yearly variance control.

I agree with both of those points. Add to it a better option to buy-out bad contracts. Players like Gomez just shouldn’t be able to float through massive contracts with such horrible performance. It’s unfair to the owners, the league, their teammates and the fans. There should be some provision for this in CERTAIN cases. The 2/3 buyout is not enough.

And too bad that all couldn’t be tied to:
– relocating Phoenix to a Canadian market
– greater contributions from the wealthy teams to support the poorest so that the “league” is supporting
– permanent changes in the rules and equipment to reduce head injuries

This is what a deal SHOULD look like. What really sucks is that it won’t.
————————————-
Listen to the Smart Dog. He knows his poop!

Interesting how this makes HabFab and I both on owners side. I have plenty of issues with how the owners are dealing with this. But to think the players are innocent in this matter seems ridiculous to me.

I sure hope the Players are still able to have Turkey this thanksgiving, those poor kids are probably lining up at the Food Banks this weekend.

So with the Bulldogs season not yet begun, the players and owners continuing to swing their manhood around the boardrooms each proclaiming theirs is bigger, my attention is now focused on MLB playoffs and the NFL season.

Crazy crazy games the past two days, very happy with the outcome of yesterdays 1game wildcard play-in games.

Now I just want to see Detroit and Cincinnati get through their respective rounds.

I think yesterdays Infield Fly call could be the worst call I have ever seen in a pro baseball game.

Mini-Summit news: I have not heard back yet from the Bulldogs for the exact process of ordering tickets for us. I am guessing will now find out Tuesday. I have had multiple communications with a contact (Greg Diamond) of the BUlldogs and he is very supportive and helpful. I am sure he is going to find a simple way for anyone to purchase tickets on their own at our group rate. I am also hopeful we can all get tickets in the same section.

Have a good day everyone, I now have to go for another round of cleaning my dog Hugo as he was Whalloped by a Skunk real bad last night. Nothing like a 130lb Bernese Mountatin Dog soaked in that stench. The only people I wish this on is Fehr and Bettman, the rest of my enemies don’t deserve this.

To Use
Bathe the dog outside or, if it’s too dark or cold, in the bathroom with the door closed and window opened.
Combine the ingredients in an open container (do not store in a sealed bottle–it will explode).
Using gloves, wash your dog with lukewarm water and the mixture while the mixture is bubbling. Work the mixture well into the fur.
Be sure to concentrate on the area that was sprayed.
Keep mixture away from your dog’s face and eyes (it’s a harsh solution). (If your dog has been sprayed in the face, try Tricotine Liquid Douche Concentrate or any over-the-counter douche.)
Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes or so before rinsing off.
Rinse the dog with lukewarm tap water. Don’t wash the mixture into your dog’s eyes (use a washcloth to cover the eyes if you’re rinsing the head).
After bathing, check your dog’s eyes. If they are red and watering, your dog may have taken a direct hit in the face. Skunk spray won’t blind the dog, but it’s very painful. Contact a vet.

Here are a couple ideas for the negotiators (because I’m sure they all read this blog everyday):
There is negotiating room if players give up small portion of their 100% guaranteed contracts. What if contracts were only 80% guaranteed? so if a guy signs for 5 years then the team has the option of releasing him from the last year. Lots of room the play around with this option; limited number or releases per team per year, releasing fee that goes to the pension fund, etc. In return players get no reduction in salary up front then a smaller percentage over subsequent years and the rest of the sticking points.

Also there should be a ligitimate “hockey man” as mediator in these negotiations. The 2 talking heads do not hold hockey as the paramount concern (clearly) and we all know this is wrong. There neads to be an independent mediator involved to keep their feet to the fire and get this done. My 2 suggestions would be Gretzky or Dryden. Both are real hockey men who hold the game above all else and are not currently tied to the situation. The longer this goes the longer it becomes about the 2 bosses and beating each other instead of making a deal.
That’s my 2 cents, enjoy your college football today. Fla/ LSU should be a good one.

YOu already have this…. Players can be bought out at 66% of contract value and that can be split over double the remaining years. For players under 25 years of age they can be bought out at 33% of their value.

Your increase to 80% actually provides more guarantees to players than they currently have.

I thinking the buy-out cost would be much less than the cost of contract and not count against the cap. Perhaps a nominal fee or bracket system based on contract value. If players (contractors as they like to be called) fail to perform as their contract suggests, they should be relieved of duties like any other.

Went to the Erie/Brampton game last night (I’m from Erie). Connor McDavid (the 15 year old) looks good. Finished the game with 2 goals and was first star of the night…

Oscar Dansk (Columbus 2nd round pick this summer) is Erie’s goalie, and guess who was there to watch him? Scott Howson (Columbus’ GM). He was sitting right behind me so I chatted him up a bit. He was very friendly but obviously a bit surprised that someone in Erie recognized him

Dansk had a good game, but Erie played very well in front of him (their best game so far this season). Both teams are pretty poor, but Erie could be scary in another year or two if they can keep both McDavid and Dansk and add some other pieces.

HIO Summit Official Cancellation Notice
>
> I am now making this official, we are all disappointed as I have thrown in the towel until we get hockey back in the spring or next year.
>
> This is important,
> All those with reservations with the Novotel “MUST” call themselves to cancel and receive your credit at 1-866-861-6112.
>
> Make sure you do not lose your “hockey game tickets”, you will need them to receive your replacement tickets when we have the Summit. There is no other way to get replacement ones.!!!
>
> Summit game tickets, News, Pictures and comments
> https://www.facebook.com/pages/Montreal-Canadiens-We-Are-Fans-Summit/197390760316125

“I went to see Armand Mondou, who had played with Morenz and Joliat,” Bouchard says. “Elmer was getting thirty-five hundred. Kenny Reardon was getting the same. I said, ‘If I ask for four thousand, what do you think?’ Mondou said, ‘Good luck.’ And I did. It took ten days before they signed me, but I got five hundred more than Lach and Reardon.”

I’ve largely sided with the players on principle – because I think it’s sadly obvious how the league doesn’t give a crap about the players, their treatment of health issues is a joke – it takes them decades to acknowledge what everyone else knows, and their first offer to the players was also a joke. Add to that the fact that the league is in large part responsible for its own problems by propping up terrible losing ventures, and it’s hard to not be critical.

But the NHLPA has its hands dirty too. It took Fehr WAY too long to come to the table. And while the league by saying the owners take all the “risk” obviously isn’t including risk to their health, their future, or their bodies – the teams do take the financial risk, aka expenses. It costs millions to buy a team, with most teams losing money, and the costs regardless are HUGE. And it costs hundreds of millions to RUN a team. By percentage, the players profit margin is actually larger than that of even the most profitable teams. And the players have yet to acknowledge that even many established teams are losing money. While moving Phoenix alone would be the one best step to create a financially healthier league, it wouldn’t solve the problem of many teams – that the income does not match the cost.

Still, if you have to ask who has made the better offer so far, it’s the players. Agreeing to forfeit revenue growth and let the league take a progressively larger share of the pie IS a large concession. And not something you’ll see from the league – or especially Gary Bettman – ever.

So to me it’s players 1, league 0 at this point. The players are right to stay ‘out’ and the league needs to bend towards what is a fairer starting point. And maybe they’re getting that. The owners don’t want the lockout either. Only Bettman seems content to be in the middle of this mess. The owners have his ear, believe me, they are going to bend it, and him. It will take some time but you have to believe that Molson and others are not sitting by silently. Bettman may be the mouthpiece but he’s ultimately not the decider.

Sorry SD but the players offer was a whole lot of smoke and mirrors. It was contingent on 6.1% growth but the reality is that there was 10% growth the first and last year only. Of the average 5+% growth in between almost 25% of that was due to the growth in value of the Canadian dollar.
The NHLPA had a major opportunity to prevent “salary roll backs” by holding off on the almost 10% increase in the Salary Cap for this season until after negotiations as recommended by the NHL. This increase was primarily due to the new TV deals with NBC and European Cable otherwise the growth last year was only about 3%. This almost 10% increase to the Salary Cap if not activated would represent 5.25% of HRR. This also lead to the massive spending spree by the teams over the summer.Why? Because the players must receive 57% of HRR.

You can’t fault the players for basically activating a pay increase they are entitled to. After being brow-beaten in the last lockout, can you imagine a world where the players would not take advantage of the opportunity to take as much advantage of the contract as they can. More to the point, can you imagine the league saying “I know we could take more money from the players for a year, but we won’t”.

On top of which, while the players may not be giving up enough in their proposal they are giving up SOMETHING. And it doesn’t matter that you can point a finger at some of the factors that cause the league raise in revenue. Even the league has predicted that revenues will continue to rise, even if not to quite the same degree.

The point is the players GAVE UP SOMETHING. The league can take this position and negotiate EVEN MORE. Including by using some of the arguments you put forward. But one side said “hey, give us back a quarter of your money – okay, not a quarter, we just want 12%”. The other side actually gave something up.

So tell me again that the owners have done more to create a positive starting point?

So what would you suggest the owners give up?
This present CBA has been very beneficial to players contrary to the “brow beating” they incurred in receiving it, not to disagree with that was certainly the perception at that time.
IMO the owners need about 5% more of the HRR which must be utilized for the small market teams. There also need to be some fine tuning with the contracts in lengths and payment distribution plus Salary Cap floor calculation. Other then that let it ride.

I agree with you on one point: the players need to give up more. But YOU KEEP SKIPPING OVER 3 IMPORTANT things:
1. The league’s dialogue with the players (as with the fans) has been one of condescension, not cooperation. There is a cost to this. The league has won the hardball game for decades and now they say “let’s work together”.
2. I say again, the players started by giving up something. The league could have said “okay, that’s something, but it’s not enough – and here’s why”. Instead the league said “you guys are idiots (see point 1).
3. The league is not owning the weight of its own foolishness – the team in Phoenix, the huge contracts…. they are asking the players to pay for their folly, without any commitment to better accountability. The players see this for what it is: hey NHLPA, you must pay for our mistakes.

Good Morning. I’ve never done this before so I hope it works. Yesterday, my friend L Ellie posted something I think is worth repeating for folks that may have missed it. Along with JB and Cal it appears L also has big talent. Here it is. Enjoy.

Well I don’t know why I came here tonight,
There’s no hockey and that ain’t right,
I’m so scared in case this goes on all year,
And I’m wondering how I’ll get through the tears,
Fehr to the left of me,
Bettman to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you.

Yes I’m stuck in the middle with you,
And I’m wondering what it is I should do,
It’s so hard to keep this smile on my face,
Losing control, yeah, I’m all over the place,
Fehr to the left of me, Bettman to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Well you started out with nothing,
And you’re proud that you’re a selfish little man,
And hockey fans they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please…. Please…..

Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see that it makes no sense at all,
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor,
‘Cause I don’t think that I can take anymore
Fehr to the left of me, Bettman to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Well you started out with nothing,
And you’re proud that you’re a selfish little man,
And hockey fans, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please…. Please…..

Well I don’t know why I came here tonight,
There’s no hockey and that ain’t right,
I’m so scared in case this goes on all year,
And I’m wondering if I have to drink many beers,
Fehr to the left of me,
Bettman to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you,
Yes I’m stuck in the middle with you,
Stuck in the middle with you.

Morning Frank, morning Jim. Jim thanks for reposting was just as good listening/singing along the 2nd time. I am concerned, however, that L may ding you with some copyright infringement. Could cost you a bag of cotton candy at the Bulldogs game I am guessing.

Great! Jim has my e-mail, and it goes to my Blackberry. I’ll ask him to forward it to you. My grandson and son-in-law (his dad knew Eddie Palchuk and others at the forum) will likely attend if not working.

Wow, didn’t know about stripping the captain. This early in the season?Its one thing to bench a highly ranked D for a game, but to do that to the captain this early at the same time is weird. They must have been very naughty boys or maybe the coach is a Putz.

Should this lockout end in our lifetime – I’m a glass-doesn’t-exist kind of guy – it won’t come as a surprise to see hockey fans return in droves to the rinks and TV screens at the first drop of the puck, so strong is our addiction.
Maybe not in quite the same numbers as before and certainly not in the same mood, but return we will, as the owners know and the players take for granted.
Well, it’s time they shared our agony. Even if just a little bit. Maybe even a big bit.
I’m talking about a slash to the collective ankle of our filthy rich tormentors.
Now before running off to get your hockey sticks, let’s get one thing straight: What I’m suggesting has nothing to do with inflicting physical harm.
(But far be it from me to pass judgment on how others behave.)
No, Mission Improbable is more symbolic in that it is meant to send a powerful message to the uppity-ups and the muckety-mucks – but it does offer the potential of exacting punishment that could prove every bit as painful.
Here’s the thing, fans are not going to stay away from the games or not watch them on TV when hockey returns.
To think otherwise is unrealistic. Not going to happen.
Why try to fight the urge?
Well, what I’m suggesting is that we DO fight the urge just a little bit.
The first night the NHL swings back into the action, fans with tickets to the game don’t take their seats until after the first intermission.
Fans at home do the same thing; watch something else for the first hour and spend some quality time with the wife (okay, so there is a bit of sacrifice required on the domestic front but a small price to pay in the long run, fellas.]
Can you imagine what that will do for the league’s image to have games broadcast showing empty seats?
And what that will do to the league’s television ratings when viewer numbers show nobody – NOBODY – watched the game, at least for the first hour.
The advertisers would raise a big stink in a hurry, especially the first period sponsors.
Now some of the younger people might find this a hardship, that it’s too much to ask of a hockey fan to skip a period of action.
First of all, exactly how much action do you really believe you’d be missing.
Second, how many days, weeks, months will you have waited for the season to start anyway. Waiting another hour is going to kill you?
Lastly: Suck it up, generations X, Y and Z, we baby boomers lived through a time when hockey broadcasts didn’t begin UNTIL WELL INTO THE FIRST PERIOD.
(You can close your mouth now.)
Yep, when Hockey Night in Canada came on back in the day, more than half the period had already been played.
Did we complain? No.
For one thing, we didn’t know any better, but more important, it made for an exciting buildup, as we kids lay sprawled on the bearskin rug, munching on toasted milkweed pods, watching shows on black-and-white TV and anxiously waiting for HNIC to start, all the while making our predictions as to who would be leading (and bickering over whether it should be who or whom).
We NEVER, EVER predicted the Leafs were ahead.
It was like waking up Christmas morning every Saturday night whenever Bill Hewitt’s opening words included the news the Leafs were trailing. (One time, he came on and said the Bruins – the lousy, basement-dwelling Bruins! – were winning 6-0, and the first period wasn’t over!)
Sorry, got off track.
Let’s go over Operation Poke In The Eye one more time: Fans wait an hour before taking their seats at the game. Fans at home watch Amazing Race reruns.
One hour of your time. Is that too much to ask?
Think of it as Earth Hour but with the idea of turning a lightbulb on – over the heads of the numbskulls ruining the sport.
One hour.
Sixty minutes you could turn into your finest hour.
One twenty-fourth of a day that could change history.
Together we can make it happen.
Still not convinced?
How about this: Guys at the rink, how long do you think it would take to make up for lost time in the beverage consumption department once you were inside the arena? That’s what I thought. In fact, you wouldn’t have to wait at all to get started, if you just hung out in the concourse and imbibed until the second period.
Guys at home – isn’t it time you scored some brownie points with the missus? Me, too.
And here’s the absolute clincher, perhaps the number one reason why everyone should treat this proposal seriously: we’d all miss Coach’s Corner.

(Did I mention you can record the game anyway so you don’t miss any of the play? I should have.)

***
The HIO Songwriters Guild welcomed a new member yesterday, a l’il gal name of L Elle. Well done, mam’selle.
With the ranks of HIO tunesmiths continuing to grow, a tribute album to Crosby (Sydney), Stillman (Cory), Nash (Rick), and Young (Wendell) is in the works. Numbers include hockey protest song “Columbus, Ohio”, the lockout anthem, “Déjà Vu”, the fans’ lament, “Helpless”, and companion piece, “Helplessly Hoping”.
Should be in the stores by January.

***
Shoutout to another member of the HIO community, Habitant in Surrey, whose hockey stick from his childhood has raised $2 million for charity

Count me in as a member of “operation poke in eye” JB!
Glad you saw L’s post yesterday. I reposted it this morning for those who may have missed it. A hat trick of talent (JB, Cal, L) on HIO indeed! CHeers bud.

JB, that may be one of the most realistic protests posted yet. Now as I am not one to follow rules well, I am willing to watch the first period and live blog it just so none of you actually miss anything, is that fair JB?

I slept in. So shoot me. CSNY, eh? Great 1 hour idea!
You are ever the inspiration, JB, so here goes.

You who are without the NHL
Must have a reaction you can live by
And so watch something else
Because the NHL has gone bye-bye
Teach your young fan well
And Bettman’s hell
Will slowly go by.
Just feed them ESPN
Those classics they pick
The ones you’ll know by.

Don’t you ever ask Fehr and Bettman why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they disregard you.

All you, of tender years
Can’t know the fears
That old players grew by
And so please help them in their youth
They seek the truth
Before they can die.

(Can they hear and do they care
And can’t they see we must be free
To watch something else on tv
and keep those arenas empty.)

Teach the NHL and PA well
Our pro hockeyless hell
Will slowly go by
and watch something else
Because of those pricks
No Stanley Cup.

Don’t you ever ask Fehr and Bettman why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they disregard you.

Galchenyuk at point-per game now, not really anything to write home about considering his high billing but not bad for a guy who missed an entire season (I also gather that the Sting are a crappy team) hopefully he will heat up over time this season.
________________________________________________________
Mike Boone for PM!

The Sting are a team that will be battling for a playoff spot at the end of the year (anywhere from 6th – 9th) but have had one of the toughest schedules in the league in their first 5 games as well.

Galchenyuk could find himself traded in January to a true contender because even with him (and he’s the best player in the OHL in my opinion) they don’t have the TEAM to compete this year, and they might as well get a ton of 16 year olds and draft picks in return.